Took the nipper to football practice on Saturday. The ground was hard with frost in the early morning after a chilling night. However by kickoff at 10am it had all melted but I had arrived in normal shoes rather than hiking boots. Needless to say, with dozens of nippers running about in football boots it was soon like The Somme.

I’ve been cooped in as a sort of membership secretary. This means I’m busy for most of the match collecting names on damp flapping A4. It was bitterly cold. Most of the players were kitted out in thick coats and hats whilst the odd one shivered in thin Premiership strips. All had a ball.